Blood Rain () is a 2005 South Korean film. A murder mystery set in 1808, it touches on historical prejudice against Roman Catholicism in the Joseon Kingdom. Although primarily a period thriller, director Kim Dae-seung weaves together an unconventional mix of styles—a puzzle-box mystery plot traditionally associated with detective fiction, class-conscious social commentary, lush cinematography, sets and costume design, and a flair for gore.
Plot
It is 1808 on Donghwa Island, a small island with a technologically advanced paper mill. The presence of the mill has spawned a bustling village, and given its townspeople a certain degree of wealth. With climate and trees perfectly suited for papermaking—and a location remote enough to ensure both privacy and secrecy—the island has established a profitable business in high quality paper, with trade routes stretching as far away as China.
This isolated and largely autonomous island begins to be plagued by a string of gruesome murders. However, it's not just the mounting death toll that is causing residents to worry, but the sadistic, methodical way in which the victims were killed. With the killer still on the loose, the government sends in special investigator Wonkyu to crack the case. While conducting his dogged investigation, he soon uncovers myriad hidden secrets, tracing the murders back to an incident that occurred some seven years earlier, in which the former owner of the mill was executed for practicing Catholicism. The townspeople, for their part, are convinced that the dead man's ghost has come back for revenge. As the young officer digs deeper into the island's dark past, Wonkyu discovers that there may be something even more frightening than the murders or the murderer—a truth that will make him question the depths of human nature.
Cast
Cha Seung-won as Wonkyu
Park Yong-woo as In-kwon
Ji Sung as Du-ho
Yoon Se-ah as So-yeon
Choi Ji-na as Manshin
Oh Hyun-kyung as Kim Chi-sung
Choi Jong-won as Royal emissary Choi
Chun Ho-jin as Commission agent Kang
Awards and nominations
2005 Chunsa Film Art Awards
Best Film
Best Director – Kim Dae-seung
Best Supporting Actor – Park Yong-woo
Best Cinematography – Choi Young-hwan
Best Editing – Kim Sang-bum, Kim Jae-bum
Best Lighting – Kim Sung-kwan
Technical Award – Shin Jae-ho
2005 Grand Bell Awards
Best Art Direction – Min Eon-ok
Best Costume Design – Jung Kyung-hee
Nomination – Best Film
Nomination – Best Director – Kim Dae-seung
Nomination – Best Supporting Actor – Park Yong-woo
Nomination – Best Original Screenplay – Lee Won-jae
Nomination – Best Cinematography – Choi Young-hwan
Nomination – Best Editing – Kim Sang-bum, Kim Jae-bum
Nomination – Best Lighting – Kim Sung-kwan
Nomination – Best Planning – Kim Mi-hee
Nomination – Best Visual Effects – Han Tae-jeong (Insight Visual), Jeong Do-an (Demolition), Shin Jae-ho (Mage)
2005 Blue Dragon Film Awards
Technical Award – Shin Jae-ho (Special Make-up Effects) Nomination – Best Film Nomination – Best Director – Kim Dae-seung Nomination – Best Supporting Actor – Park Yong-woo Nomination – Best Cinematography – Choi Young-hwan Nomination – Best Lighting – Kim Sung-kwan Nomination – Best Art Direction – Min Eon-ok